The Final Battle: Ginny's POV
by EmeraldFire512
Summary: Ginny's thought's during the Final Battle on love and loss. A little sad, a little funny, and a bit hopeful. Now complete and newly edited for grammatical errors. Please give it a chance, read it all the way through, and please review!
1. Chapter 1: Unbriddled Memories

Warning: MAJOR DH SPOILERS!!! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK AND YOU DON'T LIKE TO BE SPOILED!!!

Disclaimer for ENTIRE fic: I own nothing of Harry Potter, that all belongs to JKR and WB, so don't sue me, I have nothing you would want.

**The Final Battle: Ginny's POV**

**Chapter One: Unbridled Memories**

"It'll all be okay."

Ginny Weasley walked numbly from the young girl she had been comforting until Oliver Wood came to take her to the great hall, where Madam Pomfrey and some volunteers were looking after the seriously wounded. As she headed to the next of the fallen, hard as she tried to block it out, the scene that she had left in the great hall kept playing before her eyes. Every time she closed them, if only to blink, she kept seeing Fred's body. In her mind's eye she watched her mother laying over it, sobbing hysterically, while George sat still and silent and Fred's head, absent-mindedly running his hand through Fred's hair. This was over one thousand times worse to witness than her mother's anguish, because you could see so clearly in his eyes that he had lost half of himself in that battle, and that the half that remained would never be the same. Memories of all the times Fred and George had made her laugh, had tried to make her feel better, and had gotten into trouble roamed wildly and unbridled through her head.

She really had never really even considered either Fred of George dying. She had always thought that it would be more probable for her parents, Bill, Charlie, Ron, or even herself to die, but never really the twins. And now one of them was gone. In a way, it was worse than them both dyeing, because now the one left behind would feel alone, empty, and broken, as it he was missing his other half. Ginny forced herself to push those thoughts aside and turn her attention to the wounded man at her feet. He was covered in minor burns and cuts, on which she swabbed dittany, and moved on.

As Ginny headed toward her next charge, her mind wandered unwillingly to Harry. Where was he? He had not been in the Great Hall, although she was sure that she had seen him with Ron and Hermione in the entrance way before they headed over to the rest of the family. She then thought of the high, cold voice that had wafted into the castle and choked out all other noise. It had said that if Harry were to meet Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest in an hour's time, no one else would be harmed. She hoped sincerely with all of her heart that Harry had not gone to the Forest, for it was surely death that awaited him there. Though, as much as she hoped and prayed that it was not true, part of her knew that it was almost certainly was. Harry was not the kind to let other people die for him, not one to let the ones he loved suffer. It was one of the things that she loved most about him, his insufferable nobility, the trait that had landed him in so many dangerous situations, had had caused him much pain and suffering, the trait that had made him fall head over heels in love with him. Still running this thought through her mind, she mended a young woman's leg and started off to look for another patient. She spotted a man probably in his mid-twenties clutching his ankle and headed toward him. She never reached him.


	2. Chapter 2: Icy Daggers

**Chapter Two: Icy Daggers**

Ginny stopped suddenly, frozen in mid-step by the cold voice wafted once more through the castle, cutting through all warmth and conversation, as if it was all ice faced with fire. But the ice in the voice was nothing compared to the words that it spoke.

"_Harry Potter is dead."_

No, it couldn't be, it was not true, it was all a lie. Ginny felt as if the icy voice had turned to knives, which were now cutting through the strings holding up her heart. Her world was suddenly spinning wildly out of control, she felt her knees buckle, but she fought to stay on her feet. "No", she kept repeating in her mind, No, not Harry too!

"_He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you laid down you lives for him"_

No, Harry couldn't be dead, he just couldn't…and he would never run away from the battle, anyone who knew him would agree, he would never run away and leave his loved ones to die and suffer. It all had to be a lie, it just had to be.

"_We bring you his body as proof that your hero is truly gone."_

Harry, no….

"_The battle is won."_

For whom?

"_You have lost half of you fighters, my Death Eaters outnumber you, and the boy who lived is gone."_

Maybe it was just awful enough to be true, but, _Harry?_Did it have to be Harry? The rest of Voldemort's speech passed by Ginny in a blur as the now familiar image of Fred's body and a new, just as terrible, image of what Harry's body might look like; laying spread eagle, untidy black hair standing out terribly against his pale skin, that cursed lightning bolt scar standing out in sharp contrast on his forehead, his brilliant emerald eyes open and unseeing…. . It was too terrible for Ginny to imagine. She took a deep breath and steeled herself for what she was sure to see, and followed the solemn crowd out to the grounds.


	3. Chapter 3: Love and Loss

A/N: Hope you guys have enjoyed the fic so far, and sorry it took me a while to upload this chapter. This fic has been in the process for a while; I have the first four chapters _written,_but only the first two _typed._Also, I shall be s.o.l for the next week or so, as I need to read Tale of Two Cities for school, which starts in a little over a week, and I would prefer to not start off the year on a bad note. All issues aside, we shall be moving along now. Enjoy!

**Chapter 3: Love and Loss**

In the crowd leaving the castle, Ginny found herself with her family, _"or what remained of it"_ she thought bitterly, and Hermione, who grasped her hand as they headed down the once grand steps at the front of the castle. As Ginny turned to get a better look at Hermione, and was alarmed to see tears in her normally warm and clear brown eyes. She had always looked to Hermione as a source of strength and solace, and now, well, it was just disturbing to see Hermione broken up.

As Ginny looked toward the forest she saw a long line of Death Eaters, with there signature billowing black robes trailing behind them. In the lead was Voldemort, his red snake like slits of eyes were glowing with such intensity that they were visible from the castle steps. Following closely behind was a familiar large, shaggy figure who appeared to be shaking with sobs.

Ginny could do nothing but simply stared at this procession, her heart unwilling to put two and two together for the awful possibility that they actually did make four. To her left she could still hear the barely audible sound of Hermione's tears as they grew in intensity. But Hermione's tears were nothing compared the cry of anguish that erupted from the front of the crowd. Ginny was astounded and shaken to see Professor McGonagall sink to her knees sobbing and crying. Professor McGonagall, always stern and proper, was another one that Ginny had always turned to for strength and guidance. A prodding at side of her mind was telling her that whatever was happening was awful enough to tear apart two of the strongest women that she had ever known and admired.

As the procession came to a halt, Hagrid was fully exposed by the light spilling from the castle doors. As was the limp figure in his arms. Ginny felt her blood run cold, her heart skipped a beat, her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes slowly took in the sight. She quickly closed her eyes, not wanting to see any more, praying that it was only her imagination, that she would soon wake up and find that it was all a dream.

"No"

That one word, that one syllable spoken by her older brother Ron forced Ginny to open her eyes. She looked over at him, only to see his face stark white, his freckles and scars that he had acquired over the past year standing out starkly. His blue eyes were wide, focused on the figure in Hagrid's arms, as if hoping he could make it disappear if he stared at it long enough. He kept repeating that one syllable, his mouth opening and closing, yet with no sound coming out.

"_No!"_

This time the cry came from Hermione, who's tears turned to heaving sobs and she threw he self at Ron and sobbed copiously into his chest, as he absent mindedly stroked her hair consolingly. By now Ginny's brain had finally convinced her heart that what it had been denying since that icy voice wafted through the castle. _The Chosen One had died._ The Boy-Who-Lived was no longer alive. The only man she had ever loved was gone, and he had taken her heart with him. Harry Potter was dead.

"Harry! _Harry!"_

This time the anguished cry was her own, as were the hysterical sobs she broke down into. As Ginny sobbed, she was pulled into a comforting embrace, and looked up to see Charlie's own tear brimmed eyes as he looked down at her with a worried, yet understanding expression. As she sobbed into her older brother's shoulder, she was overcome with memories. From the time she had first meet Harry that morning in the kitchen of the Burrow during the summer before her first year of Hogwarts. When he had rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets, that god-awful valentine she had sent him. All of the times she had wanted to asked him out, but was not able to summon the courage. The time he asked her to the Yule Ball, but she was already going with Neville. That entire year he had dated Cho Chang, that year had been torture for her. When he kissed her in the common room in front of everyone, there hours spent by the lake during lunch, when he broke up with her after Dumbledore's funeral. Their last kiss…it was too painful to continue on.

She then turned toward her mother to see her dissolved in convulsing sobs that shook her entire body as she clutched her father, who had tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes. Of course her mother would be as upset as she was. She had always viewed Harry as her own son, her eighth child. She had lost two of her children tonight, during this cruel, cruel battle.

By and by, the crowd seemed to be coming out of their initial shock, and were all now shouting angry taunts and moaning and sobbing.

"Silence!" screamed Voldemort.

As the silencing charm ensued, Voldemort ordered Hagrid to lay Harry out at his feet, where "he rightfully belonged". Ginny clenched he fists in fury as Hagrid laid Harry's body at his feet, and then sank back into the night, though his sobs echoed throughout the grounds as a terrible reminder of the travesty that had occurred, of the great life that had been cut so short, of the great man that had been lost.

Then, Voldemort's voice rose gleefully over the crowd, "You see? Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now deluded ones? He was nothing ever but a boy who relied upon others to sacrifice themselves for him!" Ginny felt anger swell up within her, consuming all other emotions, all other feelings. All she felt was a burning desire for revenge, a desire to retaliate for Harry. Before she could act, she heard Ron's voice, clear and strong, from her left. He rose up to his full height, his blue eyes full of tears unshed.

"He beat you!" he called to Voldemort, breaking through the silencing charm.

The defenders of Hogwarts responded with more cheers and taunts towards the Death Eaters, until another silencing charm was placed upon them.

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds, killed while trying to save himself…" But Ginny saw through the lies. She had known, no, she had _loved_ Harry for six years now, and she knew that he would never run away from the battle, never, especially while those that he had loved and cared about were in danger. He had always done anything he could to protect others; their break-up last year is proof of that. He had always hated having to depend upon others for his safety before he came of age. It was all part of his noble heart, his painfully perfect Gryffindor personality. It had been the part of him that had always led him to danger. It had been what had led them to the ministry to save Sirius, what had led him to battle off a hundred dementors so Sirius would not receive the kiss, what had caused him to save Cedric from the maze, what had led him down to the chamber to save her. It was what set him apart from Voldemort. It was his greatest attribute, and his worst curse. It was the trait that she despised, as it always led to trouble, yet it was the trait that made her love him more than anything else.

She felt tears in her eyes again, though this time they were tears of anger. She wanted, for the first time in her life, to kill. No, not to kill, to torture. She wanted to make Voldemort suffer for every moment of Harry's life, for every instant since October 31, 1981, the day he made Harry's life a waking nightmare. Her mind set, she reached for her wand and started forward. Yet, before she could take more than two steps, a pair of strong arms reached out and held her back. She turned to face her offender, to hex them into oblivion if necessary. But she felt her anger ebb away and her grief wash over her with all of the force of a tsunami as she looked into Percy's tear-brimmed eyes.

"I can't lose you too." He said in a hoarse whisper, new tears beginning to fall. Ginny felt her tears returning as well, and hugged him back with all her might. It felt so good just to be held by him. She had nearly forgotten what her brother's embrace had felt like over the past two, nearly three years. She wanted to be held by him, for him to never let go. She wanted everything to be all right. But, in her heart, she knew it couldn't be so. Nothing would ever be all right again.

Suddenly, a bang erupted from the front. That one wonderful moment was shattered. Ginny and Percy broke apart and Ginny spun about to see what had occurred during her brief moment of bliss. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she recognized the body sprawled on the ground.

"No! No, not Neville too!"


	4. Chapter 4: Vengence

Disclaimer: This chapter has lines taken directly from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The characters all belong to the esteemed Ms. Rowling, and I mean no copy right infringement, so please do not sue me, for I am a poor college student.

**Chapter 4: Vengeance**

"_No! Not Neville too!"_

Neville lay still for a moment, but then quickly returned to his feet, staring defiantly into Voldemort's snakelike eyes, as if challenging him to do worse. It was hard to believe that this was the same boy that Ron had introduced her to on her first day of Hogwarts, the same _awful _dancer who had accompanied her to the Yule Ball. Well, it was just hard to believe it was Neville.

"Ah, who would this be?" Voldemort ventured.

"That's Neville Longbottom my Lord!" Bellatrix exclaimed gleefully.

Voldemort looked thoughtful for a moment, before continuing,

"Ah, Longbottom. You are pureblood, are you not my boy?

"So what?"

"We could use people like you. A fine little Death Eater you'd make."

Ginny held her breath as she waited for Neville's response, and she could tell she was not the only one. How much she wanted just to break free of Percy's embrace, to run forward, to stand by Neville's side, to openly deify Voldemort. She wanted to hex him into oblivion, no, she wanted to kill him. For the first time in her life, Ginny felt the urge to kill. She wanted Voldemort to pay. To pay for what he had done to countless families, for all the people he had hurt, all of the lives he destroyed, for Mad-Eye, for Remus, for Tonks, for Collin, for Fred, for Harry. Yet she could not, or perhaps would not, leave her family. They had to stick together. They, her heart lurched at the thought; they were all she had left. There in Percy's arms, she felt safe. She felt sheltered, as if nothing could go wrong. Yet, she knew the moment she broke loose, the instant she left, the world with all of its cruelty and peril would crash down upon her. She also felt as if, that if she let go, if even for an instant, she would be lost. She would be swallowed up in grief, and drown in a sea of loneliness and regret. If only…., the list of things she wished she had had the chance to share with Harry went on and on, it was infinite. Not only would she be lost, but Percy. If Percy didn't have anyone to anchor him home, he may drift away again. Ginny doubted that she would be able to handle the losses of Fred, Harry, and Percy all at the same time. Strong, she may be, fiery, she was, but there was always a breaking point. Ginny was jarred out of her reverie by Neville's defiant cry.

"I'll join you when hell freezes over! Dumbledore's army!"

Ginny joined in the rousing defiant cry that again broke through the silencing charm. Voldemort's red eyes narrowed into dangerous slits and he now looked livid. The saying, 'if looks could kill' suddenly flew through Ginny's mind.

"Now Neville will demonstrate what happens to anyone who becomes an enemy of the new regime."

With that Voldemort waved his wand, and the ancient sorting hat soared toward him through a broken window in the headmaster's office. Showing the crowd what it was that he was holding, he placed the hat upon Neville's head. With one last contemptuous glance at Neville's rigid vertical form, Voldemort waved his wand carelessly and watched with uncontainable glee as flames sprang up, quickly engulfing the old hat, and Neville.


	5. Chapter 5: Blood & Rubies

A/N: Hello! Yes, I am still alive, no I have not suffered from any deathly terminal illness, I have just been busy. But I was stricken with a common aliment among writers, commonly known as writers block.

A/N part duce: Oh, and I am currently writing _Ron's POV_, _Underage__Gryffindor_, and a little piece entitled _A Walk in the Chamber_, all three of which I'm sure you will love, b/c I loved writing them. Now on with the show!

A/N p.s.: Sorry, not a new chapter if you got an update, I am merely revisiting old chapters of mine to fix the many grammatical errors and other such mistakes that I made. Enjoy anyways!

**Chapter 5: Blood & Rubies**

Everything seemed to be happening at once. Ginny spun around, not sure where to turn. She found herself not sure of who to watch, which way to move. She stood frozen on the spot and watched it all happen. She watched in amazement as the castle gates flew open, and what seemed to be every witch, wizard, and creature of Hogsmede came pouring onto the grounds. In the same instant, herd upon herd of centaurs came thundering forth from the forest, the ground shaking from the thousands of hoof-beats and the air ringing with the sound of their savage war cries.

As Ginny watched all of this, entranced by the chaos and strife, something else caught her eye. She heard a cry from Voldemort and spun around to see Neville breaking free of the body-bind and pulling the hat off of his head. In one fluid motion, he had the ruby encrusted sword that he, Luna, and she had attempted to steal from Snape's office. Then, without even breaking his step, Neville thrust the sword forward and sliced off the head of the great snake Nagini.

Ginny, along with the rest of the crowd, watched as the head flew off into the distance. She heard Voldemort's anguished cry and instinctively drew her wand at the same moment that those red slits sought out Neville. Ginny unconsciously sprung forward, wand at the ready to defend him. Before she could as much as think of an incantation, Ginny heard a familiar muffled cry of "protego!" as a shield charm erupted before her eyes.

_Harry?_ She thought wildly, spinning around to find the source of the voice. But she saw no one. Before she had a chance to ponder any of this however, she was startled back into awareness by a curse that narrowly missed her wand arm. As she spun around to face her attacker, her hair whipped about her like hungry flames waiting to consume a dead branch. With a pang of grief, she remembered how Harry had once laughed at this and told her how she looked like a warrior goddess of old.

_Stop, no! You can't think of Harry right now._She chided herself, _Harry is dead, and the best way to honor him is to fight for his memory, for the goal that he spent his entire life fighting for, for the freedom that cost him his life._With this new edict, Ginny fought hard. She twirled and ducked, hexed and cursed, and stunned. She refused to kill. She would not stoop to their level. Harry would not want that.

After a while, Ginny lost track of time. They could have been fighting for hours or minutes, she didn't know. As she ducked a curse thrown at her by Goyle, she spotted Bellatrix and Hermione engaged in a vicious dance. Jets of lights were flying every which way. After a moment's observation, Ginny was dismayed to discover that the majority of the lights being expelled from Bellatrix's wand were green. With that, she stunned Goyle and went to assist Hermione. They were soon joined by Luna.

Yet even with the three of them, they made no head way. Bellatrix was too consumed with admiration and devotion to her master to be easily defeated. The three girls fought hard, but it wasn't good enough. There were many near misses, but then there was a green light that flew so close to Ginny's throat that she could smell the singed hair. As she raised my wand to retaliate, she heard my mother shout from behind.

"Oh not my daughter you bitch!" an enraged Molly Weasley cried, looking quite derannged. With that they began to duel. It was a duel to the death, but whose was unclear. When the smoke settled, it was not the lean, dark haired Bellatrix Lestrange that remained standing, but the short, stout, red haired Molly Weasley.

This appeared to be that last straw for Old Voldy. With a cry of rage, Ginny saw him blasted away his three opponents to face Giher mother. She raised her wand to defend, yet not a spell came to mind. What do you do against the most feared wizard of all time?

Yet before Ginny had enough time to ponder this, that familiar voice sounded again. As the shield charm erupted, she knew she couldn't be crazy this time. She was not the only one that had heard it. Nearly every other head in the hall was turned, looking for the source of the shield. And out of thin air, the body of Harry Potter appeared.


	6. Chapter 6: Love Conquers

**A/N:** wow! I actually managed two updates in a week! So, without further ado, enjoy!

And, as always, READ, REVIEW, and ENJOY, and standard disclaimers apply!

**Chapter Six: Love Conquers**

"_Harry!"_ Ginny felt her knees buckle and her head start to spin, only to be held up right by Ron. He also had his arm around Hermione who swaying slightly, and one look at his face told Ginny that he was feeling the same shock and disbelief that she felt.

As she felt her head clear, she brushed Ron's arm off of her shoulder. In her new found clarity, she now felt all of her grief replaced by anger. How could he do that? _Why_ would he have done it? Did Harry have any idea how many people had grieved, felt their hope die along with their savior? Did he realize how it must've been for her mother, her father, her brother, Ron, Hermione, for her? For all of the professors, the students, the citizens of Hogsmede? For _her?_ Didn't he realize how that must have felt? There he was, the love of her life, whom she had not seen nor heard from in almost a year, lying dead on the ground. Why would he have done it?

_He had a reason._ That sensible voice in the back of her head stated. _We already know that he had a mission from Dumbledore, for all we know; this all could have been a part of it._The voice was right, as much as Ginny hated to admit it in her current emotional state. _And besides,_the voice continued on, _isn't the important thing that he is alive? Does it matter how he got there. _The voice took a moment to gloat while she pondered and conceded that that was the truth. He was alive. And nothing else really mattered right now, as long as he was alive. _For now,_added the little voice ominously. With an involuntary shudder she put a mental block around the voice and turned her focus to the world around her.

She watched breathlessly as Harry and Voldemort began to circle each other. She couldn't look away. She felt that if… that if she looked away, Harry might disappear, this, him still living, could all be a dream, one from which she never wanted to wake up from. So she watched. She watched and listened.

She learned. As she listened to the dialogue running between Harry and Voldemort, she learned of what they had been doing for the past year, which felt like a _lifetime_. She gasped along with the rest of the crowd as in a split second; Harry and Voldemort brought back their arms, raised their wands, and cast their spells.

But no spell that Harry could possibly cast could compare to the one that he had her under. As Ginny watched Voldemort's sinister green light fly to meet Harry's red one, she prayed. She promised whatever divine powers there may be in this world that if Harry survived this, if by some miracle the light were to extinguish the darkness forever tonight, she would forget. She would forget and forgive. She would forgive the trio for whatever they may have done, and she would release all of the resentment she was clinging to if Harry survived.

If her sun, moon, and stars all returned to her sky, she would forgive. With baited breath, she watched, waited, and prayed. Ginny watched in amazement as the Elder Wand (**1**) flew out of Voldemort's pale hand and the green jet swerved in mid-air, and instead turned towards its caster. She saw his red, slit-like eyes widen in surprise, and the green glare on his face before the light congealed to his chest, and Lord Voldemort was destroyed forever.

As the crowd cheered, Ginny ran to Harry. When she reached him, she threw her arms around him. She felt his strong arms encircle her, and all of the warmth of their love engulfed her in a pleasant fire.

Everything was okay, everything was fine.

**A/N:** well, one chapter to go. sob the next chap will be a little harry/ginny fluff / epilogue.

Also; (**1**) I had someone comment on Ginny's recognition of the elder wand. Yes, I know she would not have known about it regularly, but if you recall, before Harry and Tom cast their spells, Harry talks to Tom and the crowd, ad he definitely mentions the elder wand. So while the crowd as a whole may not know what it is, they do know that that is the name for the wand that Harry is the true master of.


	7. Chapter 7: Mourning and Dawn

A/N: I did it! I finally finished! It only took me, well, nearly two years . But, I have several reasons that it took this long; but really they are not relevant.

But I woke up this morning after a series of exceedingly strange dreams that somehow had put me in the right frame of mind to write, and thought to myself, "I can finish that today." So here it is, all done, all finished. And yes, there are people and things to thank and all that, so please stay tuned to the end for a word from our sponsors So, read, enjoy, laugh, cry, and PLEASE REVIEW!

**Chapter Seven: Mourning and Dawn**

The peaceful night wind whipped through the leaves on the Hogwarts grounds. As Ginny settled under an ancient willow, she watched the lithe branches sway to the foreboding tune of an oncoming storm. She smiled to herself as the breeze whipped her hair up around her face. When she was younger, she had hated storms. Her mother told her the typical story that it was just the angels playing quidditch, that the loud cracks were just the sound of beaters bats walloping the bludgers at a band of Lucifer's minions. She hadn't believed it for one instant. So as a storm made the Burrow quiver one dark night, her father had come into her room to find her cowering under the covers. He had settled down on the bed and had placed her on his knee and told her of an ancient folk tale that his grandfather had told him, of how when a storm came, it was time for the passage of the departed into the afterlife. He had said that the thunder was a signal for all souls to gather, and that lightning was a beacon, to show them the way. He had told her that the rain was the departed's way of bidding their loved ones farewell, and letting them know that they were okay, that they had reached their destination and no longer had to wander, waiting for the next storm.

As soon as her father had finished his tale she had jumped off his knee and ran to her window. She had watch the clouds swirling and asked her father if the departed were crying, and that was why it rained. He had come over and placed a careworn hand on her shoulder and told her that they were, but that they were happy that their loved ones could move on, and while their tears were those of sadness, they were a sign of love as they were looking out for the ones left behind, telling them everything was going to be alright. She had always remembered that story and had always watched the storms roll in. Two days after Sirius had died, there was a storm. She had snuck out of her room and onto the grounds to watch it, and to say goodbye. She did the same thing after Dumbledore's death. The storm had come quickly, but she had just assumed that Dumbledore must have been extremely prolific, even in death, and that the powers that be had not wanted to keep him waiting.

Now, after all of the death and destruction, the dead were going to experience immediate passage. It was comforting for her in a way, to think that Fred would be free so soon, but also disheartening to think of the fact that she would have to say good-bye so soon. She gazed at the fleeting half-moon which was now making way for the sun. The pitch black sky was slowly turning into a lighter purple, but there was no pink as there would have been on a typical morning. It was as if the heavens were afraid to show too much joy, that they were in a state of mourning.

Ginny hugged her knees to her chest. She had been in the great hall with everyone, well, _almost _everyone. She had looked around for Harry, only to not see him again. She knew that he would return, that he was probably finishing up some business matter, but all of a sudden, she had just felt the need to get out. She just needed to go, just be by herself for a little while to absorb. So much had happened in the last 24 hours, and she had never truly had a chance to stop and think, or grieve, or rejoice. So she had come out here to think, and breathe. She rested her head upon her knees and gazed at the choppy waters of the Black Lake. It seemed like lifetime ago that she had watched Harry compete in the second trial of the Triwizard tournament, though in reality, it was only 3 years ago. In retrospect however, it really had been a lifetime ago. Life had been different then. The world was calm, and nobody knew for sure what had happened to Voldemort, or where he was. He wasn't a threat. Innocence had still reigned in Hogwarts. It wouldn't be until the end of that year that the world as Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Harry knew it would be shattered. Back in those days, there biggest problems had been pointless spats between friends and class work. Now, death, destruction, and evil had engulfed their lives for that past 3 years.

But not all of it had been bad. She thought back to her fifth year, just last year, before Dumbledore had been murdered. She remembered beautiful sunny days by the lake, in this very spot, with her and Harry. She had been so blissfully happy back then; it had all seemed too good to be true. There may have been a war going on outside the grounds of Hogwarts, but as far as she was concerned, life was perfectly wonderful. It was not until the night of Dumbledore's death that the she felt truly flung into the war. And now…

Well life could start again, but it would never be the same. Nothing would.

Ginny was started out of her reverie by the sound of a twig snapping. She sprung up and spun to face to source of the sound with her wand drawn, only to find herself face to face with Harry Potter.

He looked at her drawn wand with apprehension and a hint of a grin. She lowered her wand and slipped it back into her jacket pocket.

"Sorry," she said apologetically, "force of habit."

Harry grinned, "No, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to startle you."

Ginny sighed as she settled back down, "It's not your fault. I'm easily startled these days."

Harry sat down next to her, "That's not a bad thing. The difference between easily startled and ignorance could very well be the difference between life and death."

Ginny chuckled half-heartedly, "You sound like Mad-eye."

Harry gazed at the lake as he responded quietly, "sometimes I think things would be better if we all thought a little like Moody."

They sat side by side for a while, each engrossed in their own thoughts until Harry broke the silence.

"So, why are you out here and not inside with everyone else, celebrating?"

Ginny heaved a deep sigh before answering, "I guess I just don't really feel much like celebrating. But really because I needed some time to think about things."

Harry glanced at her. "Like what?" he queried

"Like, the war finally being over, all of my friends that died, losing my brother, almost losing you…"

Harry placed a hand on her knee. "Ginny," he said softly, "we knew people were going to die. I'm not saying that it makes it any better," he added quickly as Ginny had turned and looked at him, "but I am saying that they all knew the risk. Didn't you think about the possibility that you might not come out of this alive?" Ginny nodded, she had, for over a year, ever since that night when Dumbledore had died, perhaps even two years, after the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Harry continued,

"While that doesn't make it any better that they died, at least they were fighting for something that they believed in. For something that we all believed in. And at least they didn't die alone. Fred was surrounded by those that he loved, and those who loved him."

"In the end, we are all alone." Ginny quoted, but from where, she could not remember.

"Yes, but it is in the moment before we die, when we feel it, when we know we are going to die that it counts. And in that moment, Fred was not alone. After that moment, we don't know anything."

Ginny looked up at Harry, "did you really die?" she asked quietly.

He hesitated for a split second as if he was not sure how she would handle it.

"Yes", he answered.

"Were you alone?"

He seemed surprised by her question.

"No, no I wasn't alone."

"Who was with you?"

"Well, Voldemort…"

Ginny punched him in the shoulder, not particularly lightly, "Death Eaters don't count."

"Oh, okay then. Hagrid was there. And…" Harry hesitated before finishing, not sure how Ginny would take it, or if she would even believe him.

"Who else was there Harry?" she asked gently

"My parents."

"Your _parents_?"

"Yes, my parents, and Sirius, and Remus."

"But, how?"

Harry turned to look at her, "Ginny, have you ever heard the tale of the Three Brothers?"

"Yes, mum told me when I was young."

"You remember the second brother who wanted to live with the girl who had died?"

"Yes, I always found that a bit creepy."

Harry chuckled, "Well, the stone that he uses is real. It's called the resurrection stone."

Ginny looked at him blankly for a moment before comprehending, "Harry, do you mean…"

Harry nodded, "yes, it was in the snitch that Dumbledore left me."

Ginny just nodded, deciding to take it for what it was and not question too much. But there was still one question that she wanted an answer to.

"Harry?"

"Yes Ginny?"

"Why didn't you say goodbye."

He looked at for a minute. He had been afraid that this question might come up. "Because I knew you would have talked me out of it."

Ginny stood up and looked down on him. "Bloody right I would have."

Harry winced, "Ginny…"

"No, I don't think you understand. Do you have any idea how many people you hurt? Did you ever stop to think of how all the people that loved you would take it? Did you think of Hagrid, who had to watch you die? Did you think of McGonagall, and all of the other professors who had taught you for six years?"

Harry tried to interrupt again, but Ginny was on a roll.

"What about all of your friends? Neville? Dean? Luna? What about Ron and Hermione, who have loved you and been through everything with you since the day you all met seven years ago? Did you bother to say goodbye to them, the ones who left school and their families to help you on your quest to Merlin knows where? And what about the Order? Haven't they been there for you through it all? Haven't they sacrificed enough to help you, you had to go and die with out even thanking them? What about my family? Hadn't already been hurt enough, after having lost one son? Do you have any idea how much it hurt my mother to think that you were dead? You go off for a year, dragging one of her other sons with you, don't make any contact, don't even say goodbye when you left in the middle of Bill's wedding? And she still thinks of you as her son, loves you like one. Cried for you like one. My father cared for you. He gave you advice, helped cover up for Ron when you left, put himself at risk everyday at the Ministry because it was known that he would have helped you, and he didn't deny it. He turned his back on one of his own sons, his flesh and blood, when he didn't believe you. And tonight he had regained all three of his estranged sons, only to lose two. He wept for you just as he had for Fred. Yet you don't think he deserved enough consideration for at least a goodbye? And me. I have loved you, and put up with all of your trouble and schemes, and your knack for getting yourself into danger since the day I met you. Even before we dated, I had loved you. I allowed you to break up with me because it would put your mind at peace to think that you weren't putting me in danger, even though I was in danger everyday for having known you enough to believe you. And yet, I don't get a goodbye? What does that say? It leaves me wondering if you ever even loved me!"

Ginny stopped and took a deep breath as she looked at Harry. He had stood when trying to get her to stop and now stood still next to the swaying willow tree. His body language was defeated, and his facial expression emanated shock and shame. Ginny had just voice nearly every doubt and guilt he had ever had, and others that he had never even thought of. Ginny gazed at him for a moment before flinging herself onto him sobbing.

"I thought that you were dead, and I didn't think that I could deal with it, especially not after having already lost Fred." She sobbed into his shoulder.

Harry looked exceptionally confused, but pulled her closer and stroked her hair while she sobbed. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear,

"I didn't say goodbye because I knew you would try to talk me out of it. And I didn't want you to do that, because I didn't think that I would have the strength to walk away from you. From anyone of those people that you named. I didn't think that I would have had the strength to walk away from anyone, but especially you, because I want to be with you forever, and I didn't want forever to end today."

Ginny stopped crying and looked at him.

"I love you Harry," she said, "but, I don't know if Ron's ready to here you say any of that. It might just kill him."

Harry laughed and pulled her close again and inhaled the flowery sent of her hair.

"We don't have to tell him yet." He chuckled.

"Good." Ginny muttered into his shoulder, "We can keep this to ourselves for a while. Just promise me one thing."

"And what would that be?"

"That forever can start today."

Harry smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

They stayed that way for a while, embraced under the willow tree, as the storm clouds swirled above. Finally Harry released her and looked down into her bright eyes.

"We should probably head back in before they send the cavalry searching for us." He stated with a slight chuckle. Ginny nodded and took his hand as they head back to the castle together. As they were nearing the steps there was a giant peal of thunder. Ginny stopped to look as a double fork of lightning hit the ground by the Forbbiden Forest. As the rain started to fall, she slipped her hand out of Harry's as he was heading up the steps.

"Ginny? What are you doing?" He turned and asked her.

"Saying goodbye." She answered.

Harry stepped off of the stairs and joined her as she gazed up at the heavens. She closed he eyes and thought of all the people who had died. Collin. Tonks. Remus. Fred. She whispered a goodbye to each and felt another tear escape and join the rain as it ran down her face. When she finished there was another peal of thunder. She smiled to herself and turned to Harry.

"Let's go inside." She said, holding out her hand. He smiled and took it, and they walked back up the steps to the castle together.

_**Fin.**_

A/N: well it's done! Sad, but good in the fact that you no longer have to wonder. And neither do I, since I didn't know how it was going to end until about three minutes ago. So thanks have to go to;

**thejealousone** for his advice, and some beta-ing (in chapter three I believe), on the earlier parts of my story while I was in process of beta-ing his. He was also good for the occasional funny e-mail.

All my readers for sticking with me, for enjoying this story, and for all of their thoughtful reviews. Keep 'em coming!

So the end is here, it's bittersweet, and now I must say ciao.

- EmeraldFire512-


	8. Now Edited!

Dear Readers:

Earlier today when I should have been writing papers for finals, I somehow ended up on , looking at the first story that I ever wrote that still remains my favorite. Upon re-reading it, I was horrified to discover how flippantly I once took the basic rules of the English language.

So today, a few years older and wiser, I went through and corrected all of my heinous mistakes to both make myself feel less ashamed and also to improve the reading experience. So please enjoy, review, and _please_ let me know if you spot any errors I did not catch!

Thank you!

~ EmeraldFire512


End file.
